3 Books Every Aspiring Comic Should Read

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Comic Jeffrey Baldinger has been doing stand up comedy all around Los Angeles for 4 years, and he has produced the show Flyover Comedy at the Hollywood Improv for one year. He took time out of his busy schedule to write this guest post for anyone who was interested in breaking into comedy.

The reason you should read Rodney's book is because he was the epitome of what a comic was and should be. Reading his book legitimately motivated me to do my first show. He lead such an amazing life, and struggled for the majority of it, and when he finally "made it", he actively gave breaks and shots to the younger comics like Sam Kinison, Jim Carey, and Roseanne, three people that when they were trying to do their thing, nobody else was giving them a chance. Rodney did, and changed their lives. Jim Carey and Roseanne Barr do the Foreword and Afterward. I can't say enough how amazing the book is, and how important Rodney was.

You should read The Chris Farley show, not so much from a stand-up perspective, but for an amazing look into the life of one of the biggest comedic performers of our time. It's written in an interview format with people from his life, and it just lets you see the darker side of someone who thought the only thing he could offer people was to make them laugh AT him. It's an important read, and I think anyone who wants to be in this industry should read it.

I'm Dying Up Here is a book, like Rodney's book, that every comic should read multiple times. I'd go to say that everyone should read this whether they're a comic or not, so that people can understand what our profession went through and is still going through to this day.